Our Picks at the new MLC Centre Food Court, Martin Place Sydney

The MLC Centre, located in Sydney’s Martin Place is a hub for business, style and culture. After undergoing an $11 million revamp, the food court now boasts 12 new retailers and five updated fit-outs, all housed under a sleek rolling timber statement ceiling. Despite the additional 500 new seats, the space is invitingly airy and bright with plentiful sunlight filtering into the atrium; the food options are pretty exciting too.

As part of the transformation, Neil Perry’s The Burger Project and IGA Romeo’s Food Hall, a 1000sqm boutique supermarket are both due to open in November 2015.

In the meantime, we’ve curated our picks to save you a bit of lunchtime headache 😉

Bonjour Crepes

Going to Bonjour Crepes is like going to a corner café in the middle of Paris. With French speaking workers and the uniform to match, this place really does bring authenticity to your crepe experience. I had virtually no choice but to order the Frenchy ($11) which consists of bacon, potato, onion, raclette cheese and sour cream.

Part of the experience here is watching the crepe artists work their magic right before your eyes.

The crepe itself was everything you could ask for – delicate and delicious. The combination of the bacon and soft baked potato was destined for agreat filling lunch.

Schnitz

Schnitz offers an astonishing range on their menu, with 19 different types of combinations in their rolls and wrap section alone! There are also four types of gourmet salads and the option of just getting a schnitzel meal.

After going through the normal 15 minute dilemma of ‘Snitty or Parma’, I decided to go with the latter. The name itself ‘The Parmageddon’ got me over the line, genius, who doesn’t love a classic food pun? The Parmageddon wrap ($13.50 or $19 with chips and a drink) consisted of Schnitzel Parmigiana (Napoli sauce and melted mozzarella cheese), grilled peppers, grilled mushrooms, fresh basil & Italian herbs with the option of Kalamata olives for a $1 dollar add on. And I must say, the schnitzel is delicious, having eaten genuine German schnitzel myself, this is up there with some of the best schnitzels I have ever had. But not only was the schnitzel a hit with my taste buds but the chips, perfect distribution of seasoning and being perfectly crunchy, I could eat these chips for days! The $3.50 upgrade for a small chips with any wrap or roll is 100% worth it.

Sumo Salad

The new look Sumo Salad is more like a lush fresh food market, full of epic amounts of healthy green food that is probably every health and fitness Instagrammer’s dream. As well as the delicious monstrous display of salads, there is also a fresh spit where protein such as lemon & herb free range chicken breast, Valenca free range pork with fennel & coriander and sustainable premium grade Tassal salmon seasoned with lemon pepper are grilled over hot coal.

There’s something for everyone here with a ready-to-go deli range for those short on time, a design-your-own option if you’re feeling a bit particular, or the open kitchen made-fresh-to-order, which is what I ended up with. The Caveman (regular $10.95, large $11.95), consists of Northern Rivers grass fed Szechuan beef with crunchy slaw, baby spinach, red onion, asparagus, broccoli, slivered almonds, boiled egg and tossed in a balsamic dressing. If this is how Paleo tastes, sign me up!

Lok Lok Dumpling Express

At LokLok, my yum cha cravings are satisfied in an instant with a selection of steamed handmade dim sum available. My dumplings fix includes BBQ pork buns, prawn dumplings and scallop dumplings which are $4 (2 pieces per serve) and prawn & chive dumplings, pork dumplings, chicken dumplings, vegetable dumplings, and pork & prawn siumai which are $3.50 (2 pieces). They’re also known for their spicy Szechuan wonton noodle soup ($11), although I did spy a pretty decent looking chicken laksa ($11) which I’ll definitely be coming back for.

Pressed Juices

The healthiest choice by far at the MLC centre, this juice bar may be tucked away, but find it and your body will be rewarded.

The staff helpfully allowed me to taste my way through the range, which is a great way of working out your vegetable juice tolerance! The Green 3 ($9) was the perfect balance, there’s a huge dose of green leafy with kale, spinach, parsley, celery and cucumber, but still tasted enjoyable because of the additions of apple, lemon and ginger.

There’s also a basic, advanced, and master cleanse program you can sign up for; working wonders, there is no surprise that pressed juices has exploded onto the Australian clean eating scene.

Workers near the MLC Centre can count their lucky stars because lunch options just seem to be getting better and better around here!

Craig is currently in the middle of studying a degree in Marketing. Although he is born and raised in Sydney, he is lucky enough to be taken to all corners of the world whether it be with family or friends. His passion for travel, good eats and whiskey has seen him experience hidden gems from all over the world. Working in hospitality has given him a chance to learn how to create good food. When he isn't in Sydney enjoying the best bars and eats, he can be found at home having a BBQ with friends and family. Craig believes that good food and good vibes leads to a good life.

I Ate My Way Through is an online food & travel concierge - a resource for those who travel with their appetites first.

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